


Paper Faces on Parade

by Goldielochs



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Masquerade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 16:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19794232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldielochs/pseuds/Goldielochs
Summary: Persephone goes to a Masquerade Ball on Olympus. Who will see find in the swarm of hidden people? Who will reveal themselves.





	Paper Faces on Parade

The clock in Olympus city center rang eight times. The sound permeated the car so that Persephone felt the bell's vibrations around her, through the layers of gauzy white fabric, to her skin, and deeper. Time. Forever. Eternity.

"Persephone?" Meg looked back. "Are you coming?" Her purple snakes blinked at the pink goddess too, their eyelashes curled and combed up with mascara. Alecto and Tisiphone waited at the door for them. Persephone didn't want to go, but when she found out that Meg had never been invited to a ball before, she decided to go for Meg's benefit. Now that she was here though, she couldn't find the will to make her feet move.

Persephone shook her head and looked up at Meg's shiny face, full of excitement. "Oh! We can't forget!" Persephone reached into the back seat and grabbed their masks. Persephone's mask was covered with the wings of white monarch butterflies. Lacy ribbons hung down the sides, with live butterflies clinging on as commanded.

"Oh goodness. We spent so much time making these this afternoon it would have been awful to forget them now." Meg strapped her mask on, being careful around her hair. They made a day of it. Spending more time with the furies made Persephone feel safer. They all too much enjoyed her company. It was nice to be welcomed into a close knit family. Meg's mask was a classic shape with dark purple tulle and lace embellishments. Two black horns curved up the sides, giving an eerie sense of dread, but they were covered in purple glitter, confusing the effect.

Persephone felt better when the mask was on. She felt like she could get by unnoticed. Hide from the world in plain sight. She grabbed Meg's hand. "This is gonna be fun." Meg blushed and her hair hummed at the small contact. "After you, my lady." Persephone giggled.

Meg curtsied then spun around in her black ball gown. She giggled, causing the other attendees to stare.

"You look amazing." Persephone squeezed her friend's hand. "They're just jealous."

"I know." Meg grinned. "That's kind of my thing." Together they entered into the masquerade ball.

Hades slinked his way out from the crowd of moving bodies to the bar. "Bourbon." He ordered. "Straight." Of all the parties Olympus threw, this was normally the one he most enjoyed. He spun around and leaned against the bar at all the masked bodies twirling in unison to the music. No one knowing whose hand they held. No one caring. It was all part of the game. A night of secrets and hidden identity. You could be whoever you wanted. You could be no one at all.

"And who ordered this tall, dark, and bitter drink?" A familiar smoky voice greeted him warmly. He turned to see a golden goddess in a lush ruby ball-gown with a smile sliding up the side of her face. Half her mask sprouted peacock feathers, the other side was etched with gold.

"I'd say it has more of a," Hades picked up the glass and held it to his nose, which was covered by a decadent paper mache mask, silver designs edged out a skull, complete with diamond teeth. "Hint of licorice and orange."

"I meant you, big blue." Hera poked his chest, a velvet tuxedo.. "You're usually in better spirits at this event." She tugged on his royal blue military sash.

Hades raised his eyebrow. "Have I?" He cocked his head to the side, his skull mask leering oddly back down at Hera. "Have I ever been in good spirits?"

Hera smacked her lips. Yes, she wanted to say. Yes, she wanted to show him the pictures she kept guarded in her dresser. Pictures of Persephone and Hades enjoying a stroll around his kingdom. It was the happiest she'd ever seen him. And truth be told, the happiest she'd seen Persephone in quite some time. Instead she just hummed. "Poor Hades." She rolled her eyes. "You know, if you're goal is to blend in and hide who you are, a skull mask is a bit on the nose, isn't it?"

"Okay, miss peacock in the bar with the attitude." Hades retorted, flicking one of the peacock feathers on Hera's mask.

Just then Eros walked in with his back to Hera and Hades. "Two-no three shots of Jager. You want one marg. Frozen? Nice." He shot finger guns. "And a martini for me." He spun around happily.

"Eros!" Hades yelled, stopping the love god in his tracks.

"Uh-oh." Eros pulled. "Um. No actually." He cleared his throat. "I'm uh, I'm not Eros." He pulled on a different voice and adjusted the straps on his paper mache mask.

"Okay, dingbat, explain the feathery wings." Hades scoffed.

"Damn it." Eros muttered.

"I have a bone to pick with you." Hades moved forward.

"Funny. I didn't have that on my schedule." Eros tried to skirt away.

"Do you think I would just let it go?" Red eyes shined through his mask. Casting red light through the crystal skull. "No one touches my car. No one. Not even your dear grandfather." He grabbed Eros' by his ruffled shirt front. "Do you know what happened to the last guy that tried to break into my car?"

"You let him off with a stern warning and a life lesson he'll never forget."

"Oh, he never forget it, that's for sure." Hades picked Eros up off the floor. Eros turned his head as he got pulled closer and closer to Hades' jagged teeth.

"Persephone!" Eros shouted, seeing a small pink goddess in white waltz briefly into view. "My you look stunning!" Persephone turned to see Eros collapse on the floor.

"Eros!" Persephone brightened and she skipped towards him, spinning as she did. White monarchs sprouted from her shoulders as she did.

"So. Cute." Eros melted. "How can you be so precious."

"How did you know it was me?" She batted her eye -ashes and her butterflies fluttered their wings.

"Literally no one radiates like you do, Persephone." Eros kissed her hand.

Persephone laughed as she walloped him into a hug. He spun in them in the air. "Girl. I have been trying to get a hold of you. Don't you answer your phone?"

"Oh." Persephone faded a little.

Hera watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. She turned to see a blue blur dash behind the bar. She scoffed. "I didn't realize you two were friends." She said towards Eros and Persephone pointedly. "I thought with what you did to Persephone you'd be more. . . enemies."

"I'd rather make friends than enemies." Persephone squished her face up against Eros'.

"Oh, please." Eros blinked with heart eyes. He unraveled Persephone and then reeled her back in. "You couldn't make an enemy if you tried."

Persephone sighed and leaned her head against Eros' arm. "I've had enemies before." She said matter of factly. "Before I buried them under my rose garden that is."

Hera coughed up her gin and tonic. "Excuse me?'"

Persephone shrugged nonchalantly. "You know the old saying. Keep your friends close and keep your enemy's decaying corpses as plant fertilizer." Persephone waited a moment, then barked out a laugh. "Ah, sorry. That's a joke I have with my flower nymphs. It doesn't play well with them either." She chuckled again and sighed.

"Oh." Hera smiled. "You were joking." Reassurance softened her up again and she took another sip from her glass. Precious Persephone. So funny that one.

"The bodies under my flower beds?" Persephone cocked her head. "Oh no, I wasn't joking about that." Eros stiffened. "Oh sure. How do you think I keep my rose buds looking so good all year?" Persephone enjoyed the unsettled twitch in Eros' expression. "You see, death plays a part of life. A very big part. For instance these guys are instrumental to me." Persephone spoke animatedly and lifted up her arm. A swarm of beetles erupted from her palm down her arm. "Carrion beetles. They're flesh eating beetles that aid in the decaying process, helping to transfer nutrients into the soil. Aren't they so cute?" She held her hand up to Eros who backed away disgusted.

"Yeesh, Perse."

"What? Their harmless as long as you're alive." The beetles dropped from her arm and began to scitter across the floor. "Oh. Hey. Come back here. Where are you going?" the line of beetles turned the corner around the bar.

"Hey, you can't be back here." The bartender warned. "Oh what the hell are those?" He cursed at the swarm of insects. "Fuck they don't pay me enough for these things."

"Sorry, you must have something that smells like death-" Persephone stopped short. She bent down over the bar. "Oh. Hello.. What are you doing back here?"

The king of the underworld was squatting next to the c02 tank. The carrion beetles crawled up his shiny oxford shoes.

"Aw look at that." Persephone grinned. "They really like you." She snapped her fingers and the insects turned into soft flower petals instead. "Sorry about that. I know most people get weirded out by bugs. I forget sometimes."

"It-it's alright." Hades bumped his head on the top of the bar and his mask fell off.

Persephone blushed, acutely aware of how close they were to one another. "Oh, Hades." Persephone gulped. "S-sory. I didn't realize-." She held her breath. "What are you doing back here?"

Hades stood up to his full height again and secured his mask back on. "Um." He faltered. His brain scrambled for some kind of answer that would make sense.

"Were you hiding?" Persephone teased.

"No." Hades shook his head. "If I were hiding, you'd never find me." He paused. "Unseen one." He cracked a sorry grin. "No? Ugh."

"He was checking to see if they had any IPAs back there." Eros interjected for him. He winked at Hades knowingly.

"Oh." Persephone nodded, deciding to drop it.

"So what was this about carrion beetles?" Hades asked curiously. "I'd. . . actually like to learn more about that."

"Really?" Persephone beamed. No one ever wanted to talk about decomposition. No one liked it when she did. Which was a pity, because it was one of her favorite things to talk about.

"Yeah." Hades could tell past Persephone's extravagant mask how eager she was to share her excitement with someone. "I want to know about how those connect with your work. It sounds fascinating."

"What does?" A red antelope entered the room. Two long horns protruded from a black mask, matching the ladies deep V neckline dress. She moved like a tiger. Claws out. Territorial.

"Just. . . insects." Persephone crossed her arms self consciously. She'd never be that tall or thin. Persephone wished to fly away. Like the butterflies on her mask, flutter off to different skies. She heard in the distance the gong of the clock tower again. Time ticking. She grabbed Eros's hand. "I need to talk to you." She tried to convey with her expression her urgency, but it must not have translated well.

Eros only blinked at her, then at the new red antelope. Then back to Persephone. Then up at Hades. Before he could open his mouth a purple goddess walked in.

"There you are." Meg leaned her head in then skipped over to Persephone. "Is he bothering you?" Her snakes hissed at Eros.

"No. No." Persephone shook her head. She did need to talk to Eros. But it would have to wait. "Find me later." She whispered into Eros' ear. "Hera." She bowed politely and grasped her hand. She eyed her meaningfully, then folded a piece of paper into the Queen's palm. Then Meg escorted Persephone out of the room. Meg made a 'HM' sound and pointedly turned away from Hades and Minthe. Her snakes followed suit.

"Come on. Let's dance." Meg stalked off, carting Persephone with her.

Minthe sidled up to Hades. "Wow. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum are kind of cute together. Pitiful creatures. I'm glad they can console each other for their bad tastes."

Hades removed himself from her awkward angled embrace. "Tadpole." He sighed. "Don't."

"Don't what?" Minthe raised her eyebrow.

"Hey party people." Zeus walked in with a ridiculous white tuxedo. He didn't bother wearing a mask. "Was that Persephone I saw walking out?" He eyed his brother a hint of ruefulness on his tongue. He slid his eyes over to Minthe. "Ah." That explains it. He caught Hades eye and rolled his eyes. A public relationship with a nymph. Not just a nymph. A river nymph. Not just a river nymph. Minthe. The worst. Hades was really underselling his status as King, which then undervalues his worth and Poseidon's. Whatever. Hades had everything lined up. The only girl he ever truly wanted. Offered to him, not just once, but on a daily basis. And he lets her walk away every time. Pathetic. Obviously Hades doesn't have game. Whatever. Hades had wasted every opportunity. That was on him. Zeus couldn't swing it home for him.

Zeus saw his wife and gasped. "My!" He stepped towards Hera. "Who is this radiant being of love and devotion?" He grabbed her hands and pulled her onto him. "Don't tell my wife, but you are absolutely the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen."

"I honestly can't tell if you're joking or not anymore." Hera removed her mask to kiss Zeus on the lips. "Hello, my dear."

"What's this?" Zeus grabbed hold of the paper in Hera's hand.

"Oh. I don't know." Hera tried to snatch it back but Zeus held it too high for her to reach.

"Oh, are you hiding something from me now?" Zeus eyes delighted in the prospect. "Oh. It's just a map of the underworld." He handed it back to Hera disappointed.

"I told you I didn't know what it was." Hera shrugged. "Persephone handed it to me just now." She waved her hand on Zeus' chest. "I don't keep secrets from my husband. What kind of marriage is that?" She added with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Persephone?" Hades held his hand out. "Why would she hand you this map."

Minthe cleared her throat, recognizing it immediately. "Oh, like Hera said. It's nothing. It's probably nothing." She tried to grab it from Hades. "Just one of those informational leaflets. They're everywhere, you know." Sweat dripped down the back of her neck. "Maybe she mixed it up with something else. She's very dumb, you know. Raised in the mortal realm and all." She kept trying to take it away.

Hades closed his mouth. "Why do you care so much?"

"Listen, I can throw this piece of trash away for you. I'm just trying to be helpful." Minthe shrugged.

Hades clicked his mouth. "Helpful." He muttered after a moment then re-examined the map. "Zeus." He turned to his brother. "If you were to follow the directions on this map, do you know where it would take you?" He handed the paper back, over Minthe's grasping hands. "See here. There's a red arrow and an x mark."

Zeus studied it for a fraction of a second. "Why, that's pointing to Tartarus."

"Mhm." Hades tapped his shoe. "Funny." His voice grew eerily quiet. "How Persephone has a map directing to Tower 4 in her possession. What a coincidence then that she ended up there the first day she visited Hades Headquarters."

"What a coincidence." Minthe stepped back. Her ears flattened out.

"She said she got lost." Hades shook her head. "She was lying and I didn't understand why." He pointed his finger at Minthe. "She was protecting you." He stepped forward.

"You don't know-"

"This mark is done with a red Absyll .5 width marker with an angled tip. There are only three markers like that in all of Hades towers, because a certain someone, special ordered them two years ago when they got drunk at an office party. One of these markers was stepped on and broke, staining the carpet in my office. The other two are still at your desk." He leaned over Minthe. "She wasn't lost." He tossed the map at Minthe's feet. "She was lead there." Minthe shivered. "Let me guess. You were being helpful then too."

"So we're just gonna go." Zeus motioned to him and Hera. "This seems more of a you two thing." He trailed off and he and Hera poofed out of the room.

Eros spotted Persephone dancing in the crowd. A flash of fabric and movement. Then obscured again as the dancers spun in time. Unlike Zeus and Hera, Eros had stayed for the whole thing, loudly sipping on his frozen margarita in the corner. Putting people together was his job, but watching people tear apart was his guilty pleasure. Like a train wreck, he couldn't look away. She argued about Persephone's reputation. Hades would hear nothing of it, "This conversation has nothing to do with her."

"It has everything to do with her."

"Do you know what kind of liability you put Hades Co. under that day?"

"I see how you look at her."

"I've been trying to do what's best. I wanted to make us work. To give us a real shot."

"I did too!" Minthe screeched finally.

Eros slurped on his margarita. Minthe took a deep breath. Hades gazed into the distance past the walls. They used the past tense already to describe their relationship.

"I didn't know the shades would attack her." Minthe admitted quietly.

Hades shook his head. "You put her in danger. You have had nothing nice to say about her since you saw her in the tabloid." He turned to Minthe, who looked more like a sad memory now to him. "And she has done nothing to you except show you grace and mercy."

"I thought you said this conversation has nothing to do with her."

Hades took off his mask. It fell to the floor with a solid thud. "The conversation is over." Hades tilted Minthe's face up, tenderly. "So are we." As he left the bar he called over his shoulder, "I'll call you a cab home."

Eros nearly applauded. Minthe kicked Hades' mask to Eros. "Did you enjoy the show, lover boy?"

Eros caught the skull gracefully. "Oh, no." He shook his head and stood up. "I did enjoy it. But it wasn't a show." He made to grab Minthe's hand but she flicked away from him. "Come on, dear. What did you think the end-game of this relationship was? You should probably be glad."

Minthe barked out a laugh. "The fuck you mean I should be glad?"

"Most nymphs end their relationship with gods in death." He slurped on his drink. "You're alive aren't you?" He grinned. "That's more than most can say. If they still had lips to speak."

"Are you threatening me?"

Now Eros laughed, "Girl. It's not me you should be worried about." He blew Minthe a kiss and flew out. "Be safe out there." He called towards Minthe before turning his new sights on finding Persephone again and giving her all the juicy gossip. And didn't she mention she had something to talk to him about too?

"I'll just be a moment." Persephone shooed Meg away and closed the bathroom door. She walked over to the line of sinks and hunched over the basin. She untied her mask and set it on the counter. She let the water run and she flicked her fingers under the stream and pressed her damp palms onto her face. The light flickered overhead.

"Hello?" Persephone peered behind her fingers. "Is someone here?" She looked back in the mirror at the reflection of the other stalls. The air felt charged, as if she could shock someone with the tip of her fingertip.

The stall closest to here opened slowly. Minthe walked out and pulled out a tube of lipstick from her cleavage, stepping to the mirror next to Persephone.

"The sex is always better in the car." She stated, like they were halfway through another conversation. "He gets off on it. It's a different energy about him. That and the dogs don't bother us." Minthe barked out a laugh. "But you know all about that, don't you?" A smile spread up like a wicked vine. "Don't you?" She emphasized, then she leaned over, bent at the waist to come eye level with Persephone. "You don't, do you?"

Persephone couldn't find any words to throw back at her. What could she say?

Minthe just laughed and continued with her makeup. "Poor Persephone." She hummed and dried off her hands.

Before Persephone could find her tongue another stall door opened. Hestia came forward in a simple white gown. She paid no attention to Minthe. "Persephone." She greeted warmly while she began to wash her hands. "Such a pleasure to see you again. I never got confirmation that you'll be able to attend the next meeting. It's a recurring one so if you hit accept it'll populate for the rest of eternity. Our meetings are very important."

"What calendar invite?" Persephone furrowed her eyebrows. Hestia was talking so fast.

"Oh, but you haven't sworn in yet. Well, we can do that tonight, if you'd like."

"What?" Persephone backed away.

"That means you'll probably have to quit your job at Hades inc for the time being."

"Why?" Persephone didn't understand. "I thought I had time."

"Well, what's there to think about, dearie?" Hestia dried off her hand. "You'll have plenty of time. After you've sworn in." The chimes of the clock. Echoes beneath her skin. "You'll have to stop seeing Hades though, that's for sure."

"I don't understand." Persephone's heart raced. "What does Hades have to do with-"

A purple hand clasped around Persephone's shoulder. Thick veins. A violin shrieked in Persephone's head. Her flower crown dried up. "Come on, Persie." Apollo smirked. "We're just looking out for you."

"I told you." Persephone closed her eyes. "Never to touch me again."

"Ah, why are you freaking out?" Apollo held his hands up innocently. "I've just been trying to talk to you."

"In the women's restroom?" Persephone screeched.

"Calm down. There are people here." Apollo gestured to Hestia and Minthe who hadn't left yet.

"I will NOT calm down." She spun away from him.

"Alright, alright." Apollo obliged. "I just want to dance. Just one dance." He lunged forward and grabbed her wrist.

Persephone memorized the ugly feeling of his hand on her. She closed her eyes again. Her mouth hung open into a scowl. When she looked back up, red orbs clouded over her pupils. "You want to dance?" Persephone whispered, but the words echoed back ominously. "Fine." She hissed. "Let's dance." She flipped her arm over, removing his grasp on her then flung Apollo across the bathroom into the back stall.

"You fucking little-"

"What?" Persephone cocked her head to the side. "Bitch? Prude? Slut?"

"You're just a flower goddess." Apollo spat. "You're nobody." He shoved himself forward. "You're pretty flowers in the springtime. You bring no meaning. You're not necessary. No one needs you. No one depends on you. You're nothing. You should be grateful for what I've done for you. You should be thanking me. I could have helped you. You could have been somebody with me. You're nothing but a petals."

Persephone smiled cooly.

"Careful, Persephone." Apollo hissed. "Flowers get trampled on."

"That's the thing about flowers, isn't it." Persephone began to pace, walking first in front of Minthe. "They're all anyone notices. They're pretty. Their unique. They're delicate. Flowers is what draws the eye. But flowers are just a means to the end." Her smile froze in place. "They're a distraction." She took one step towards Apollo. "What you should be paying attention to are the roots." The floor tiles split apart as roots lifted from the underground wrapped around Apollo, tying his arms and legs up. Wrapping around his chest and pinning him, on his knees to the floor. He struggled against the roots, but resistance was futile.

"Let me go!" He yelled.

"No." Persephone laughed. "Not until you apologize."

"For what?" Apollo shook his head, then roots found his way to his chin and cranked his head up into an awkward angle. "What? Are you gonna hurt me? Are you gonna torture me? Kill me?" He laughed, the sound getting choked out. "You can't hurt me. I'm more powerful than you. The people love me. They've never even heard of you."

Persephone's eyes glowed red. "I wouldn't be sure of that." She twirled towards him. "Haven't you been paying attention. I'm not going to hurt you. What's the point in that? You're just a distraction. No. If I have to get through to you, I need to go to the root of the problem." She hummed and slipped out of her shoes. "You don't listen to me. You don't need me." She traced her finger along Apollo's jawline. "You're a beloved god. With many worshippers." Persephone nodded. "Tell me, Apollo. What's a god without believers?"

"No!" Apollo twisted, trying to break free.

"Maybe if your worshippers beg you for mercy, maybe then you'll apologize. Maybe then you'll understand what you've done."

"You can't." Apollo sneered. "You don't have the power to. You're here. You can't do anything in the mortal realm."

"Oh silly." Persephone bent down. "You haven't been paying attention have you." She grinned maliciously. "It's all about the roots." She straightened up suddenly, very professional, pacing towards the mirror. "Under the surface, connecting all life, are roots. They're everywhere. I'm everywhere." She turned back to Apollo. "Now. Let's start in Athens, shall we?"

"You're. . . nothing. You wouldn't."

"You don't know me." Persephone sneered. "There's a reason they call me death bringer." She backed up, keeping her eyes on Apollo. "Do you know why I wear white?" She cocked her head to the side again. "You're about to find out."

She stepped over the bulging roots gathered at Apollo's feet. The hem of her dress began to stain with a dark red substance.

"You have a lot of followers in Athens." Persephone mentioned. "This might take awhile."

"No." Apollo shook his head. Unbelieving. Persephone twirled around. Her dress darkening. The blood stains rising up her dress. "No."

"Do you hear them?" Persephone grinned. "Are they calling out for you? Where is their god? Why has he forsaken them?" Persephone pouted. "Shall I go to Sparta next? Isn't that where Hyacinth is from? You must have strong roots there."

"NOOOO!" Apollo twitched erratically. Persephone laughed and laughed. Overwrought with bloodlust. She caught herself in the mirror. Her white dress now entirely red with the blood of Apollo's followers.

"No." Persephone muttered. "No." She stared back at her reflection shocked and dismayed by the horror of what she'd become. At what she had done. The blood on her hands. The blood on her dress. Innocent life. Mortals she was supposed to look out for. "NO!" She screamed.

The lights flickered.

And she was staring at her reflection through her fingers again. The tap was still running. Minthe and Hestia and Apollo were gone. No blood stain on her dress.

"Well that was interesting." A goddess appeared in the mirror behind her. This new goddess donned in a black plain dress and netting over her face.

"Wh-what was that." Persephone breathed. "What just happened. Who are you?" Persephone backed away slowly. Her heart still raced.

"Sorry about that. These parties can be so dull sometimes." She outstretched a dark hand. "I'm Eris. Goddess of strife and discord." She leaned towards Persephone. "You just have so much swirling inside you right now. I couldn't resist to see what would happen if you. . . let loose."

"I didn't do it." Persephone blinked. "I didn't do any of it." She folded over into her hands. "It was just a trick. You're a monster."

"Not a trick." Eris shrugged. "An opening. A favor. Most people don't see the consequences of their actions until it's too late. I'm not the monster." She laughed. "People like you," Eris pointed at Persephone. "You're the most dangerous. Keeping everything bottled in. Keeping everything to yourself." She grinned. "I like people like you. Like a volcano. One day you'll just-" She clapped her hands together. Eris disappeared. Persephone was alone again.

_  
Darkened in disposition and in color Hades stormed off down the hall. Fellow guests made way for him. Perfect posture. Unsavory demeanor. Tall as an ogre. Even drunk off wine and music, the party goers knew to avoid the masked stranger, even if they didn't know it was Hades. He couldn't hear himself think the music bumped so loudly, portraits shook on their hooks. The hallway got narrower. The space given by the crowd closed in. The ceiling leaned towards him. The music became overwhelming as if he could see it, filling up the crevices in his vision.

His foot slipped. A sharp thack, ping, rolling. He stepped on a marble. The lights dimmed. The music stopped. All he could hear was the rolling marble across the wood floor. It rolled into another corridor, under a partially open door. Hades followed it, absently. He knew it wasn't simply a marble. Compelled by curiosity, he opened the door.

The marble had stopped in the middle of the room. As he bent down to pick, his fingers gently clasping around the sphere. An old withered hand met his.

"Give it." A voice that matched the hand said. "This is not a jewel for you to keep."

"I would never." Hades spoke softly. "Here." He offered the eyeball to one of the Three Fates. The bumbling weird sisters that controlled the fates of mortals. The seers into the future. The eyeball he found rolling along the floor was their shared eye.

"Curious." Her sister joined her side. "You never come to see us."

Hades opened his mouth, but the third sister appeared and grabbed Hades hand. "We know why you do not visit us. We know why you visit us this evening." Hades never came to see them because his concern was only after the thread was cut. Not when or how or why. He could care less about their work. It made no difference to him.

"I -" Hades blinked. He didn't have any intention of visiting the three fates. He was just trying to find. . . Persephone. He didn't plan this.

"No one does." One of them said, as if answering a question never asked.

"I'm sorry. I just got turned around and walked in. I didn't mean to-"

Before he could back away the tallest of them grabbed his hand. "You want to know your fate." A statement. Hades looked back at the door towards the party.

"I should really-" When he turned back the sisters were gone. The room was cast in shadows. The light of the party no longer illuminated through the doorway. "H-hello?"

Eros called for Persephone as she danced with the furies and half of Olympus in the ballroom. An up tempo number and he couldn't get her attention. "Ugh." He shook his head and someone else caught his eye. "Oh! Mommy!" He flew over to Aphrodite. She was decked out in a black and white number with a lavish mask fully loaded with feathers. He could recognize his mother anywhere. "You will not believe what I just-" He blinked at the nymph standing next to his mother. He'd never seen this friend before. His eyes squinted. "Do I know you?" He took a step forward. Something in his chest hurt. "You. . . something about you-" He couldn't place it. Like a dream that had been forgotten. He stared into the Nymph's eyes. A longing that had been making tears in his heart began to rip at the seems. Something wet sprouted in his eyes. "Sorry. I don't know-. I forgot what I was going to say."

"Hi." She breathed and the wind got knocked out of Eros. Psyche.

"Butterfly?" Eros whispered his pet name for the mortal that stole his heart. His fingers out stretched to her.

"Eros!" Aphrodite yelled up as Eros's wings spread wide and launched him up into the air. Away from her. Away from his mother. The knife in her hands. The betrayal. The longing. The love. The pain. The guilt. The anger. It swirled around him like a kaleidoscope.

"Hey, rose colored boy." Persephone snapped him out of it. She was staring down at him, sitting up on the rafters, her feet dangling towards the crowd below. "Have a seat."

"I-I thought you were dancing." Eros muttered and sat next to Persephone on the beam.

Persephone shook her head. "No. I gave my mask to someone else that had lost theirs. I don't much feel like dancing." She wrapped her arms around her knees. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Is this about Hades?" Eros guessed.

She shook her head, a petal dropped from her crown. "No." She smiled, but she wasn't happy. "It's about Apollo. It's about Hestia. It's my mother." Persephone took in a deep breath. "I'm tired of carrying this burden by myself. I'm afraid of what will happen when I can't - what I'll do when I can't control it any longer."

The lights dimmed in the ballroom. The frantic uptempo mellowed out to slower ballads. Couples joined hands, their movements less orchestrated by structured dances. Persephone leaned up against the wall. Her thoughts swimming with the conversation she'd had with Eros. Her confession. She should have gone to Eros sooner. Fertility goddess. That ache inside of her, the longing to be touched. She thought those were wayward wants to be shoved aside. But they were a part of her. To deny it would be to deny who she is. Persephone wanted to be herself. Her own goddess. Not the mask that others see her as.

"Well, aren't you the prettiest wall-flower." Persephone turned to see Hades, an odd smile under his skull mask. "I've been looking for you."

"You have?" Persephone cocked her head to the side.

"Would you like to dance?" He held out a gloved hand to her. "I've been dying to ask you all evening."

Hera wormed her way up to see Eros. Her long dress slipping between the beams. He was still hanging out in the rafters.

"Thinking about Psyche?" She asked warmly. He sighed and nodded his head silently. "Are you going to forgive her?"

He shrugged his shoulders and his wings shrugged too. "Part of me does." He muttered with his face on the side of his arm. "Part of me never wants to look at her again." A tear rolled down his cheek. "Part of me would die if I never could."

Hera pulled a loose curl back behind his ear with motherly affection. "She was scared."

"So she was going to kill me." He barked out a laugh. "Or try to."

"She didn't know what you were. You didn't tell her the truth." Hera spoke sincerely. "She knew you were hiding something and she became frightened. Her family fed her lies and she couldn't trust anyone."

"She could trust me." Eros defended.

"No. She couldn't." Hera kissed the top of his head. "You took her away from her family as a monster. You lied about who you were. When her family told her you were dangerous, what was she supposed to believe?"

"She said she loved me." Eros argued.

"And doesn't she?" Hera smiled. "Aren't you the expert?"

Eros gave her a look.

"I love my husband." She stared off into the distance. "I love him dearly. But that doesn't mean we don't have problems."

"You ever try to kill him?"

"Frequently." Hera grinned and she patted Eros' hand. "You'll figure it out. If you love her, if you want to start again, you better do it soon. Morta'ls lives are so very fragile and Hades doesn't believe in 'take-backsies.'"

He never really gave much thought to Psyche's mortality. How much time did she have left? How much time had he wasted already?

"Speaking of." Hera leaned out across the crowd. "Have you seen Hades? I wanted to speak with him before he left."

Eros shrugged. "I don't know. If you can find his mask though, you can probably find him. I picked it up after he broke up with Minthe. Then I think I shoved it at my mother when I saw. . . when I saw her."

Persephone stared at Hades' hand offering to dance like a snake. She'd be lying if she wasn't thinking the same thing. Hadn't she been dreaming of dancing with Hades? "But. . . Minthe?"

"Minthe who?" He paused. "Oh yes. Her. Well. That's over now." He leaned over and whispered into her ear. "Your little trick worked." His face so close to hers, her breath stopped.

"What trick?" Persephone raised her nose in the air, trying to stop her brain from short circuiting.

"The map." Hades grinned for a flash of a second then his expression turned more serious.

"That wasn't a trick." Persephone crossed her hands in front of herself. "She-." Persephone began. She remembered seeing Minthe's horrified reflection in the mirror during Eris' vision. "I shouldn't have believed her. I'm too gullible."

Hades frowned, but his eyes smiled. "I'm sorry about that. She won't be a problem for you t-for us- any longer."

So they had broken up. Persephone bit her lip, not sure if she felt more ecstatic or guilty. "Are you alright?" Persephone asked, finally accepting Hades hand, the offer to dance. He beamed like a kid on his birthday, and led her to the ballroom floor.

"Minthe and mine's relationship has been dying for awhile now. It's no surprise." He placed his hand on her waist. Persephone placed her hand on his shoulder, but should couldn't hold that reach as they started dancing, and she slid her hand down to his chest.

"No. Not that." Persephone shook his head. "You seem different."

"Oh?" Hades cocked his head, looking odd with his skull mask blinking back, reflecting light in the jewels. "Perhaps because I'm finally getting what I want. Not sitting idly by anymore." He spun Persephone around.

"I understand." Persephone nodded and then circled back into Hades arms. "I'm slowly starting to figure that out for myself. I've been letting other people tell me what's best for me for so long, I thought I wanted the same thing as them." Persephone sighed and leaned her head on his chest. Hades smoothly caressed her hair and drug his hand down her back. "But what do you want?" She looked up at him.

"Is that the problem?" Hades pulled Persephone to the side. "Have I not made myself clear?"

"What?" Persephone blinked.

Hades eyes flicked up to the second floor then back to Persephone in ernest. "Come on." He grabbed her wrist.

Persephone flinched but obeyed. This was Hades afterall. He walked quickly, nearly jogging. Persephone had to hold on to him just to keep up.

"You're going too fast." She breathed heavily.

"I've made a complete idiot out of myself. From the moment I saw you I've been doing this all wrong."

"Doing what?" Persephone tried to pull her arm free but he wasn't paying any attention.

"This is the problem. I've been a coward." Nestled away from the party, in the lonely part of the garden Hades finally stopped. "I've made a right fool of myself. With this whole situation."

"Hades-"

"I'm not going to pretend any longer." Hades lowered himself down to her level. Red eyes shown out of his mask. "You asked me earlier what I wanted." He took a deep breath. "It's you."

"Aphrodite." Hera called. "You look lovely." She kissed both of her cheeks. "Mwah-mwah."

"I know." Aphrodite beamed. "You look like you always have." Aphrodite took a moment to appraise Hera. "Like a million bucks."

"Don't be rude, Aphrodite." Hera rolled her eyes. There had always been an unspoken rivalry between the two of them. The most gorgeous and beautiful goddess in Olympus. Forever blessed with beauty and youth. One over love, one over marriage. Two sides of the same coin. Fertility goddesses. But their differing views would never bring them eye to eye on anything. Except one.

"We need to talk about Persephone." Aphrodite twirled a finger through her hair. "I just spoke to Zeus. She's not well."

Hera was completely caught off guard with this news. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he talked to Eros. And Eros talked to Persephone." Aphrodite listed off on her fingers. "Apparently she feels trapped."

"Trapped? By what?" She hoped Hades was not the next thing out of Aphrodite's annoyingly perfect juicy lips.

"By maidenhood." Aphrodite's eyes gleamed. "Word around the block is she doesn't want to live eternity as a virgin anymore. I think she needs our help."

"Your help." Hera raised her eyebrow. "Aren't you the one that locked her in Hades' car, shipping her off into the hand of a stranger in the underworld?"

"The past is the past, darling." Aphrodite shrugged. "I like to live in the present. And presently, there's a young girl that wants to be in love." She battered her long thick set of eyelashes. "Who knows, maybe she wants to be married. Have a family." She nudged Hera's arm. "But most importantly. She's very vulnerable right now."

"And Zeus told you all this?" Hera scoffed.

Aphrodite nodded.

"Ugh." Hera sighed. "I think you're right. I knew something was off with Persephone for a long time. I did what I could. I begged Demeter to let her come to Olympus."

"Whoa. You talked to Demeter?" Aphrodite loved the juicy gossip. "How long has it been? Four years?" It wasn't widely known that they had a fallen out, but Aphrodite kept tabs on all the relationship in Olympus. Hera wasn't the only one that had stopped talking to Demeter.

"Give or take." Hera pulled her hair up. "But Persephone needed help. Oh!" She nearly forgot why she came over to Aphrodite to begin with. "Do you have Hades' mask?"

A blank stare greeted her.

"Skull shaped. Very sparkly." Hera added.

"Oh!" Aphrodite hummed. "Well, I think I gave it too. . ."

"You asked me earlier what I wanted." He took a deep breath. "It's you."

Persephone couldn't feel her face anymore. Everything went numb. This was too much.

"From the first sight of you, you're all he-I could think about." He touched her arm gently. "I've done nothing but fuck it up since. I don't. . . I'm not great with women." He laughed, at an inside joke to himself. "You scare me, Persephone."

He leaned in closer. His lips at her nose, then he angled off and kissed her cheek. "And I like it." He muttered into her deepening blush.

Oh no. Persephone couldn't breath. This was too easy. All she had to do was tilt her head and she would kiss the king of the underworld. Wasn't this what she wanted to? To wrap her arms around him, call him "mine", find out what his tongue feels like inside her mouth.

But then the choice was made for her and dark blue lips crashed onto hers. After the shock wore off, she found herself wrapping her hands in his hair. He grunted in approval. His lips smiled onto hers. Then she yelped as they both hit the ground. Hades hovered over her. Persephone propped herself up on her elbows. Isn't this what she wanted? Remove Minthe. Take Hades. Kiss Hades. Make . . . love. . . to Hades. She wrapped her leg around him, pressing that yearning ache against him. Her body began to move on it's own volition before her mind could catch up. This was all so fast.

She turned her face away to catch her breath and Hades began sucking on her neck, toying with the straps on her dress. His other hand clasped on hers. She blinked and watched curiously in the moonlight as a carrion beetle crawled across her finger. It waddled off into the bushes, away from them.

Persephone closed her eyes and clenched her hands into fists. "No." She leaned away, her voice full of grief. Something inside her shattered. When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing red, taking over the white space.

"Kore!" Hades shouted. But it was coming from a distance. Not the man currently sucking on her shoulder.

"Fuck." The Hades on top of her muttered. Before he could shuffle off of her, Persephone slammed her palms on either side of his face. In a fluid charged movement, Persephone snapped the mask off. A hundred jewels popped out and scattered onto the ground.

The real Hades rounded the corner then just in time to see his brother on top of Persephone. The magic broken. Zeus sighed into the night. "Okay, listen. I was just trying to help-"

A fury he'd rarely felt welled up inside of Hades. But before he could do anything, Persephone's rage erupted first.

One of the EMT's placed a warm cup of tea into Persephone's hands. She adjusted the foil blanket around her shoulders and knees. Her toes clutched the edge of the ambulance's bumper. A shiver ran down her spine. No one would look her in the eyes. Not that she wanted them too. She should be alone. What could she say besides "sorry."

"Hello."

Persephone looked up as Hades walked closer to the light of the ambulance. A blanket similar to hers wrapped around his shoulders. Dark smudges stained his face. Rips and tears ruined his suit. She frowned and pulled her blanket tighter. "Is it really you?" She asked suspiciously.

He paused, sensing her reluctance. "Ask me something only I would know." If he could turn back time and make this whole night go away he would. Now they had to pick up the pieces and Persephone shouldn't have to do it alone.

"Hmm." Persephone thought for a moment, searching through their brief history together. Light spots of memory. "What did you tell me in Tartarus." She looked up at him. "When you spoke in my home language. What did you say?"

Hades sat on the edge next to her. "I am a terrible king."

Persephone closed her eyes. A tear fell down her cheek and onto the warming blanket. It was Hades. Her Hades. They sat side by side on the back of the ambulance. A gap between them.

"How many people are hurt?" She trembled. This was the question she needed answered most, the answer she feared above all.

"Just one." Hades leaned back.

Persephone turned to him concerned. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Hades held his hand up. "And so is Zeus." He barked out a dark laugh. "He'll live."

"Eris tried to warn me." Persephone took a sip of tea. "At least no one died this time."

Hades eyed her curiously, but let it rest for another time. Silence fell between them as they watched people square off parts of the mansion, lining areas with caution tape. The majority of guests had already been evacuated.

"I'm sorry." Hades spoke the simplest words that had volumes behind it. "I should have-"

"It's not your fault." Persephone shook her head. "I know that."

"But-"

"Shhh." Persephone held her hand up.

This wasn't about Hades. Not really. Hades selfishly wanted to apologize to insert himself in the narrative, where he never belonged to begin with. He recognized this and changed the topic. "How did you figure it out?"

Persephone smiled for the first time. "My lovely carrion beetles. They're attracted to death, you know." She adjusted the blanket and looked over at Hades. "They wanted nothing to do with the masked Hades. Neither did I, it turns out."

"The bugs." Hades blinked. "You knew it wasn't really me because of the bugs?"

She nodded then stared into her empty teacup. "They never lie." Another moment of silence passed. This time they watched as ruble was pulled away from the back side of the mansion. Carted off in large trucks.

"What a weird night." Hades exhaled and rubbed his forehead. "Honestly, this wasn't even the strangest part." He waved at the consequences of Persephone's anger. She looked at him curiously.

"I ran into the Three Fates." He stated, looking past everything. "They showed me something. And I still don't quite understand it."

"Was it the ground opening up and swallowing two kings and a handful of unlucky party goers? Because I think I got that mystery pretty much solved. It was the Spring Goddess, in the garden, with an imposter."

"No." Hades smiled at her attempt at light-heartedness. "No. There were three trees. One on a hill. One by a river. And One was in the shade. . ." He started then faltered not sure how to continue. "Ah. It was nothing."

"What is it?" Persephone turned to him now. Enjoying for the moment, that the spotlight wasn' t on her.

"First they were trees. Then I saw three houses. One by a lake. One on a mountain.. And one in a valley." Hades saw it. As if it were real. He could see the siding. Smell the air. Feel the wind.

"Then what?"

"It's stupid. I don't know what it means." He lied. He looked up at Persephone's wide eyes and continued on. "The first two trees faded in time. Withered. Their fruit was seedless. Their soil unwatered. But the tree in the shade grew stronger. It thrived."

"And the houses?" Persephone edged closer.

"Time wore on them all. Termites rotted the wood. Paint chipped. The roof shingles fell apart. Storms cracked the foundations. Except for the house in the valley. It withstood time, where the others faded." Hades gulped.

"What do you think it means?" Persephone was practically leaning on him.

"I-I don't know." Hades looked at his hands.

"You're lying."

Hades sighed. And looked down at Persephone. "In time, perhaps thousands of years from now mortals may forget about the gods." Hades said slowly at the level of a whisper. He dared not speak any louder. "But they will never forget death. They can't avoid it."

Eris's vision in the bathroom. The words she had said in righteous anger. What's a god without believers?

Persephone bit her lip. Hades began to apologize again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No." Persephone wrapped her arm around his.

"I scared you." Hades sighed.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm the girl that laughs when the monstrous gatekeeper of the underworld licks my face, remember?"

Hades grinned and patted Persephone's hand on his arm. "Well. It-it just made me think regardless of what it means. That I shouldn't take my immortality for granted. I have this very long life and what does it all mean if I don't - if I don't have someone I love to-" He stopped. "I don't like being alone. It took me 2,000 years to figure that out. I don't want to spend another 2,000 years wasting my time with people who make me unhappy."

Persephone gazed out again. "Your brother loves you." She said with no amount of malice in her voice.

"What?"

"Zeus." Persephone swallowed his name down. "He's a fucking idiot, but he loves you. I don't know what the hell he was thinking. I mean, I think I do, but like what the fuck was his end game with that going to be? It's not like we-" Persephone shook her head. "Regardless." She sighed. "I've been giving it some thought." She flicked her eyes up at Hades and then back out. "I really wanted it to be you." She confessed. "I should have figured it out a lot sooner. But I really wanted it to be you." She set her teacup down, crossed her arms and breathed out from the depths of her chest. "It's strange to hear from a stranger in the lips of someone you care about that you're wanted. It's stranger to kiss those lips, that belong to another." She hopped off the side of the ambulance. "I'm tired of keeping things in. I'm tired of secrets. I'm tired of not knowing who I can trust. So I'll start." She turned back to Hades. "I have a crush on you. A really big stupid dumb crush that I've been trying to keep at bay for awhile now. I'm very confused about who I am and my place in the world. My mother tells me I'm supposed to be one way, but my heart is telling me another. So yes. I wish it was you. I wish I had been in your arms. And I wish I had kissed your lips. If you had been the one in the garden. . ." Persephone took a deep breath. "Well, I would have liked that I think. But right now I feel very fragile. Not like a flower. Like a bomb. And I don't know what I do now. And I can't pretend like I don't want you anymore. The whole fucking party knows about it."

Hades stepped off the ambulance and walked slowly to her. "I just got out of a short-term but also fucked up long-term relationship."

Persephone nodded, calming down. "Right. Right."

"I don't know what my brother told you." Hades winced. "But. . . it was. . . probably true." He caught Persephone's eyes. "Our whole relationship has been other people interfering. Aphrodite and Eros, Hera and Zeus." He listed off. "I got us all into this mess. It's because I think you're the most gorgeous creature I've ever laid eyes on." He smacked the side of his face. "You're right. We need to stop lying to each other and to ourselves."

"Masks off?" Persephone smiled.

"Masks off." Hades nodded. "I don't know where that puts us. Or what we do now either, but I like being honest with you. Seems like a good start. Or re-start, I suppose."

Persephone tapped her toes together. "I like milkshakes." She looked up hopefully. "There's a place nearby that's still open. Maybe we can talk some more. Keep being honest. You wanna-"

"I'll get my car." Hades nodded hurriedly. "Actually." He pulled out his keys, knowing full well Persephone still didn't have her license. "Here. You drive."


End file.
